Raleigh, N.C. — From Wall Street to Main Street, talk of the fiscal cliff is in the air.

“I don’t think you can escape it,” said investor Bill Antczak. “It’s on every night.”

If Democrats and Republicans can't find a compromise before the end of the year, experts worry the country could plunge into a recession. Republicans say they want to sit down with the president and talk specifics, while President Barack Obama says there can't be a deal until GOP lawmakers drop their opposition to increasing rates on the top 2 percent of income earners.

All of the back-and-forth has investors worried about what to do with their money before Jan. 1.

“You can’t discount what you’ve already lost,” Antczak said. “Here we are on the road to recovery, so this looms large.”

Investor Jo Lawson said she feels somewhat helpless.

“(I’m) frustrated, irritated, very disappointed in our government overall. But what can you do?” she said.

storchheimDec 6, 2012

NCSU Eng - yes, IT was to me also. But I began 30 years ago when there weren't different flavors of 4 yr degrees for each situation, on the job training was to be had if you wanted it, and of course NAFTA and the Internet didn't exist.

While I was earning the glow dough, I invested it and continued to live as if I were making Patel's salary (yikes - didn't know it was THAT low!). I'm just about set, unless 0 confiscates my investments and hands me an IOU payable in amounts he will deem I deserve, but sure wish I could have worked another 3-5 years. Anyway, I'm ready to go over.

connieleigh4Dec 6, 2012

@DANNY22....I AGREE 100%!

piene2Dec 6, 2012

"I hear you. Being in the engineering field is not all it's cracked up to be. I come in to work everyday wondering if the lights will be on the next day. I saw an article the other day about IBM jobs in India. The average salary for the employee in India is $17,000. What an eye-opener!NCSUEngineerFC"

Engineering was awfully good to me. Of course we did a lot of work for The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and we had the war in Vietnam. Both were good earning situations.

Danny22Dec 6, 2012

kmt,it is not right to force a Christian to fund abortion, or contraception when this goes against a person's beliefs. It is not right to pass a law by buying and selling votes like obamacare. It is not right to leave 4 Americans to die for 7 hours without any help. It is not right to take our hard-earned money and waste it or give it to people who could work but won't,

NCSUEngineerFCDec 6, 2012

storcheim,

I hear you. Being in the engineering field is not all it's cracked up to be. I come in to work everyday wondering if the lights will be on the next day. I saw an article the other day about IBM jobs in India. The average salary for the employee in India is $17,000. What an eye-opener!

kmtDec 6, 2012

You know, this reminds me of the story of the children of Israel being led out of Egypt. The people complained and complained because of the struggles and they no longer had their "comforts". The Lord told them to continue moving forward and trust Him until they read the land of milk and honey. Progress doesn't come without struggle. The country was built on faulty ground and now is being corrected for its past sins. Its inevitable. Our President is doing what's right, whether you know it or not. Just because YOUR pockets are thinning doesn't mean its not right. Think communally, and not selfishly.

storchheimDec 6, 2012

Psst. Don't look now but Patel will do your job for 30% of what you charge, and 0bama's just waving H1-B's in because his masters told him to. If this keeps up you won't be working past 50.

NCSUEngineerFCDec 6, 2012

Let's see, I am 28 years old. I estimate that I will probably have to work until I am at least 70 years old. Probably closer to 75. If I can manage keep a job as a mind-worker, maybe I can make it that long. If I wind up doing something manual labor intensive, there's no way I'll make it.

Rebelyell55Dec 6, 2012

Must of missed something, all I got was Money Manager worried about their big bonus not being so big.

Crumps Br0therDec 6, 2012

Im calm. I got tired of Barry doing the chicken little thing all the time during his last term. Everything is an emergency with that guy, but he won't lead enough to fix it.